Shattered
by xfallenangel13x
Summary: Yuugi's friends are both concerned and confused as to why the teen is so deeply depressed after Atemu's return to the Afterlife. So, they travel into his mind, to find his Soulroom has turned to nothing but a maze of stairways and doors, and that his emotions have personified themselves within them. What will each reveal to them? And can they save their friend before it's too late?
1. Happiness

**Each of these chapters are in the Third-Person perspective of the emotion it is named after. So, this one is from the view of Yuugi's Happiness. They will also have a song, kinda like a theme. Because I thought it would be fun. w**

**Also, Yuugi is referred to as the "Master", "Creator", "Mutou-sama", ect. He is also considered a God to his emotions, so Third-Person mentions will be capitalized as proper nouns. Like "Him" and "He", rather than "him" and "he".**

* * *

**Title: **_Shattered_

**Pairing:** _Puzzleshipping (Yuugi/Yami)_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre:** _Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort_

**Full Summary: **_Yuugi's friends are both concerned and confused as to why the teen is so deeply depressed after Atemu's return to the Afterlife. So, they travel into his mind, to find his Soulroom has turned to nothing but a maze of stairways and doors, and that his emotions have personified themselves within them. What will each reveal to them? And can they save their friend before it's too late._

* * *

**_DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor ANY characters in this story, unless noted otherwise. I DO, however, own the plot of this story, as well as the designs for Yuugi's Emotions. The Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime belong to Kazuki Takahashi-san._**

**_Please do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor recreate my hard work in any way._**

**_Or I will sic Yami on you. _**

* * *

_**~ Happiness ~**_

_Good Time - Owl City_

* * *

The heart is a fickle little thing.

They all knew that. Because they were His Emotions. They were controlled and powered by His heart. It was hurting, so very, very badly. And that, in return, hurt them, too. It was why they were there, today.

Separate beings, with thoughts and emotions of their own. Not separate _bodies_, but as entities within the Master's _mind_. It left Him little to no control over them. They were becoming split personalities within His mind.

Happiness glanced around his little room, blinking blandly. It was bright, and cheerful, as he was meant to represent.

The walls were painted in a bright, but pale golden-cream shade, with stark white carpet that was plush and comfortable beneath his bare feet. The room was filled with fun things to do or play with. Toys, board games, video games, a television set, a large variety of paints, pencils, and sketchbooks... It was like walking into a kindergarten classroom. A bed that stood from the center of the wall opposite to the white, golden-handled doorway was covered in a thick comforter. The sheets, following a theme, were pearl white, covered in a custard-yellow quilt with fluffy, snow-shaded pillows. Large plushies of Kuriboh, Marshmallon, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, and the three Egyptian Gods were stacked neatly at the foot of the twin mattress.

Pictures lined little wall-shelves (also painted white) and birch-wood furniture. Photographs of the Master's friends and family. One, in particular, was held in bronze frame, and placed on the nightstand next to the Emotion's bed.

The Master was sitting on a glass display counter His grandfather was seated behind, a leg caught in mid-swing, leaning back on His hands. Sugoroku-sama was grinning, while the Master was beaming cheerfully, eyes bright. If looked at closely, one could see the faint, transparent figure of someone who looked incredibly similar to Mutou-sama. His eyes were red, and strikes of gold shot up into his hair. He had one arm wrapped over Mutou-sama's shoulders, head resting on His shoulder while he glanced over at who had been taking the photograph curiously.

It was His favorite picture.

Happiness smiled, true to his namesake, despite not having been tended to in so long. The Master never felt Happy anymore. Not since Love had been so badly damaged.

The boy was a spitting image of Yuugi, with only a few exceptions. His eyes and the ends of his hair were a bright, sunlight-yellow, like his bangs.

He sat down on the side of his bed, reaching around to grab the plush Kuriboh. He held it in his lap, fingers of one hand absently playing with the faux-wool hairs sewn into the little monster's form.

He was wearing a plain white T-shirt, and tan shorts that hung down to his knees.

For being the embodiment of the Master's Happiness, he was quite bored.

Could Emotions even_ have _emotions of their own? Maybe Knowledge could tell him...

Happiness looked up from his peripheral vision as the Visitors cautiously peeked into his Room. They were Mutou-sama's friends.

Jounouchi Katsuya, Mazaki Anzu, Honda Hiroto, and Bakura Ryou.

The blonde one, Jounouchi, beamed with his own joy radiating around the room like a ray of sunlight. It made Happiness smile.

It had been a very long time since he had felt his... element, of sorts, being conducted.

"Yuugi!" the male called out excitedly, walking in quickly. Still smiling- albeit this time with sympathy- Happiness shook his head slowly.

"I am not Him," he informed, "I am simply a small piece of Him."

The four stopped with confusion in their eyes as the door swung closed behind them. Anzu poked Jounouchi's shoulder, and whispered something to him. Amber eyes widened, and Happiness stood, setting the Kuriboh where he had been seated at.

"I'm sure you could tell by the contents of my Room," he murmured, walking a few paces towards them, "But I am a manifestation of the Master's Happiness, Joy, Enthusiasm, or whatever you wish to call me by."

Honda raised a brow, arms crossed. "'The Master'," he quoted with a huff, "Sounds like superiority complex to me."

Happiness only smiled wide, and giggled. "Nope!" he said with a playful tone, "He's just our Master! He controls the Emotions He feels, does He not? Well, He used to, anyways. Before Love was hurt."

Honda eyed the cheerful Yuugi-clone, who only grinned. "Love? You mean there's more of you?"

He nodded, blinking, but still smiling.

"How many?"

He stopped, looking thoughtful. "I think... Knowledge told me there were fifteen or so of us before. Could be more, could be less."

"Knowledge is an emotion?" Ryou asked, head tilting to the side.

Happiness laughed with his signature emotion, a hand pressing lightly to his lips. The albino eyed him strangely, one brow raised.

"What's so funny?"

He golden-eyed boy swung his arms in small arches at his sides. "You have a lot of Knowledge, or the desire for it," he replied cryptically. "Another name for it is 'Curiosity'. And you are _very_ Curious."

"What's so funny about that?" Honda asked, rubbing his neck.

The Yuugi-duplicate shrugged, still grinning. "It just is. I manifest Joy. Do I really _need_ a good reason to enjoy a little laugh?"

They glanced around uncertainly.

"Well," Anzu murmured, blue eyes filled with Happiness' opposite: Sorrow. "If you're Yuugi's Emotion of Joy..." her voice trailed.

"Why haven't I been around?"

They nodded.

Happiness walked over to the far left wall, and touched a hand to it. "Because... He doesn't feel Happy anymore. It's as simple as that."

The pads of his fingers touched to the cheerful color of the wall. Yuugi's friends gave small breaths when the pale yellow beneath Happiness' spiritual skin turned to an ugly brownish color, like a bruise. It quickly spread in a circular shape, expanding to create an unpleasant-looking splotch on the wall's surface. Beneath it, there were large, deep cracks. Some places, the drywall was completely torn away, in baseball-sized holes.

The visiting consciousness of the four teens gasped in horror and surprise as Happiness' skin began to almost... darken. Blue-purple bruises and cuts appeared over his flesh, looking sore and unpleasant. The most gruesome of the injuries, however, were long slices that were made over his wrists, and... across his throat. Spiritual blood poured and trickle from the wounds, soaking into the Emotion's shirt with sickening red. The overwhelming _scent _of it made their stomachs flip dangerously.

Dark, now-mustard-colored orbs gazed over at them sadly.

"What you are seeing is only an illusion," the teen continued, eyes growing distant. "He has not felt my Emotion's essence in a very long time."

He withdrew his hand, and the bruise vanished beneath cheerful color, cracks and holes leaving with it. The wounds vanished completely, thought the smell of blood still lingered in the air.

"But He used to be Happy. Very much so."

Happiness turned to them, smiling again, with enthusiasm and excitement. "I can help you, you know," he said. "I can show you his memories. The happiest ones of his life. Then maybe..." He closed his eyes, trailing.

"Maybe what?" the four asked in a tense chorus.

Happiness' gold eyes shone. "Maybe you can bring us all together. Maybe you can help the Master feel Happy again."

There was a flash of light, as a barrage of pictures and flashes of memories appeared before the four friends.

* * *

_"Né, Yuugi, I've gotta riddle for ya'," Jounouchi said to a wary-looking Yuugi, "What's somethin' that we've got, but can't be seen?"_

_Yuugi seemed to think for a bit, looking puzzled. He murmured something under his breath, trying to solve the other's cryptic words._

_Jounouchi grinned, giving a thumbs-up. "It's yuujou*, pal!"_

_Amethyst eyes blinked with surprise. It was quickly covered with immense joy. "W-We're friends?" A gleeful smile._

* * *

_"I have been known by many names..." said a deep voice, "Pharaoh, Yu-Gi-Oh... I am also called 'Yami'."_

_Nod. "Well, Yami, I'm glad to have you as my friend!"_

* * *

_Relieved, disbelieving laughter. Yuugi leapt into the arms of an elderly man, tears gathering in his eyes. "Grandpa! You're okay!"_

* * *

_A smiling face drawn from black ink._

_"Even if we're apart, this symbol will always be here connecting us. We'll always be there for each other, no matter what!"_

* * *

_"__**Awright!**__ Go Yuugi!"_

* * *

_"It-It's alright... By defeating me, Mou Hitori no Boku, you've defeated the Darkness in your heart."_

* * *

_"Well, if that's how Honda-kun and Jounouchi-kun show they care for each other..." Chuckling, as a blonde and brunette exchange light blows and insults. "I hope they never care for me__** that **__much!"_

* * *

_"Well done, Aibou!"_

* * *

_"Wh-What?! Yuugi! T-This isn't a Duel- Oh- H-Hello."_

_Laughter as Yuugi sat in his Soulroom, leaving a disgruntled Yami for a date with Anzu._

_Seeing him so flustered- it was __**priceless**__!_

* * *

_"I want to be with you, always. Even if I don't get my memory back."_

* * *

_A figure retreated into the distance, giving a thumbs-up as he walked to a blinding wall of light. Yami was free._

_He was back where he belonged._

* * *

The scenes stopped, and Happiness gave the four stunned teens another, small smile.

"I'm afraid that is all I am able to show you," he murmured. "If you wish for more, you'll have to find the room of the Master's strongest Emotion."

They looked to him, dazed. "Which... Which one is that?" Anzu questioned quietly.

Happiness blinked at her, lips still turned upwards, though it seemed to become drained of his previously mentioned 'essence'. Sunlight-colored eyes started to dull to a less saturated goldenrod.

"My opposite," he informed quietly, "Sorrow."

* * *

***Yuujou**- _A quote from the original Yu-Gi-Oh manga, when Jounouchi is referring to his and Yuugi's new friendship. It's a pun, on both of their names, and the word 'friendship'._

* * *

**So? What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Do I need to stop thinking up new plotbunnies? :)**


	2. Sorrow

**Title: **_Shattered_

**Pairing:** _Puzzleshipping (Yuugi/Yami)_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre:** _Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort_

**Full Summary: **_Yuugi's friends are both concerned and confused as to why the teen is so deeply depressed after Atemu's return to the Afterlife. So, they travel into his mind, to find his Soulroom has turned to nothing but a maze of stairways and doors, and that his emotions have personified themselves within them. What will each reveal to them? And can they save their friend before it's too late._

* * *

**_DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor ANY characters in this story, unless noted otherwise. I DO, however, own the plot of this story, as well as the designs for Yuugi's Emotions. The Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime belong to Kazuki Takahashi-san._**

**_Please do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor recreate my hard work in any way._**

**_Or I will sic Yami on you. _**

* * *

_**~ Sorrow ~**_

_To Zanarkand - Nobuo Uematsu_

* * *

Sorrow. It was the most consuming of Emotions. It was always there, even when someone seemed to be nothing but smiles and good times. If something made a person Sad, like a death in the family, or a run-in with bullies... It sticks with them for life. It may seem to go away, but it doesn't. It just... fades a little bit, and becomes easier to hide than before.

It is said the happiest of people are the ones who are suffering the most.

The Master was no exception.

Sadness was a small little thing, dressed in a loose, long-sleeved black jumper and blue jeans. His hair was rimmed in the darkest of navies, eyes a few shades lighter. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of his bed, back facing the door. His skin was unnaturally pale, and dark circles were under his eyes. They were rimmed slightly in pink, as if he had been crying a few minutes earlier.

His Room was dismal as his Essence.

Deep, sea-blue walls with dark gray trimming and floors surrounded him. A small lamp with a black shade was the only source of light- and a dim one, at that. The temperature and atmosphere, alike, was still and frigid, as if an invisible air conditioner were turned on full blast. It was the reason Sorrow had a coal-colored blanket wrapped over his still form.

The Visitors would be here soon, with Happiness. He knew they would be. He could sense them, wandering the twisting corridors and ambling stairways to his separate Soulroom. He shifted, and drew the blanket over his head.

He glanced up miserably, casting his eyes over the shattered, dusty picture frames that were scattered over the floor and sparse furniture (which consisted of an old, dark gray dresser and nightstand). Inside them, or around them, were photographs. Faded, or torn to bits. The painful memories... Of bullies, and bad people trying to hurt his friends... Of his parents, and... Yami...

Moisture gathered in the teen's stormy eyes. His fingers went to brush at old marks beneath his jumper's sleeves. They weren't on Mutou-sama, Himself. No. These scars on his arms and legs represented the hidden emotional pain he had been hiding throughout the years of his life.

He heard the smoky-gray door's obsidian-colored handle squeal as it was turned, and opened.

"Sorrow?" a quiet, but chipper little voice murmured. A warm aura began drifting into the Emotion's Room. He whimpered, and curled into an even tighter ball under his patched blanket.

"Sorrow, our friends are here. Don't you want to say hello?"

He shifted, head raising slightly. Their friends... The Master's friends.

He glanced over his shoulder, across the bed mattress behind him, and to the doorway. Standing beside a brighter version of himself, were four teens. Their eyes were surprised, and almost scared as they rested on him.

"Yuugi...?" Anzu breathed quietly, stepping closer. Sadness shrunk away slightly, navy eyes wide and teary. "_You're_ Yuugi's strongest Emotion?"

He nodded slowly, voice harsh and sore when he spoke. It sounded as if he had been sobbing earlier. "I am..." He swallowed, before beginning again. "I am His Sadness... and Grief, and Mourning. His Emotional Pain."

The girl shivered as a particularly cold breeze whispered through the room, sitting on the bed before her. Ryou edged farther into the room, eyes casting over tarnished walls. Paint was slowly flaking away, revealing deep crevices and large splotches that looked like burns. Jounouchi bent down, and picked up a broken picture frame. Sadness flinched at the photo he saw inside.

His parents. Yuugi's parents.

One was a sweet-looking woman with reddish hair and dark brown eyes. The other was a proud-looking man with tan skin. His hair was black, and slightly spiked- just not quite dramatically as his son's. Navy blue eyes were serious, but content as they stared into the camera. An infant, Yuugi when he was only two, giggled and grinned, tiny hands gripping at the shoulder of his mother's shirt.

The photo was old, faded, and had several creases and small tears in the sides.

Honda walked farther inside, while the manifestation of Happiness lingered by the door, smile having fallen by this point. The brunette's heel accidently crunched over a frame, and Sorrow gave a sharp whimper, eyes going wide. The teen jumped back in surprise, hands going up in a submissive gesture. Yuugi's Emotion scrambled forward, and tenderly picked up the picture frame. Its glass was now spider-webbed, the side cracked deeply. He went into a cross-legged position, fingers brushing gently over the front.

Inside, the smiling faces of Yami and Yuugi beamed up. One arm of each was draped over their other's shoulders, Yuugi's other arm caught in a wave, while Yami's was giving a 'peace' sign.

Sapphire orbs became lidded as the others drew in close, peering down at the item in Sorrow's shaking hands. Tears gathered on thick lashes, and he hugged the little treasure to his chest, sniffling.

A hand reached down, and rested on his shoulder gently. "Yuugi?" Anzu murmured quietly.

The Emotion squeezed his eyes shut, large tears streaking down his too-pale cheeks.

"M-Mou Hitori... n-n-no Bok-ku..." he whimpered, trembling softly. "I... I c-can't hear h-him anymore. It's so-so cold, and lonely without him here..."

The lamp's bulb began to flicker.

He was staring at the hard floor below him, made of dark gray concrete. "I'm sorry," he murmured, "I'm a horrible friend. I've done nothing but _ignore_ you all since he left. I've been skipping school, and not turning in my work, and-" He inhaled sharply, legs drawing closer to his chest. "I've just..."

Guilt was evident in his tone as his cried. A hand began to rub soothing circles over his back. A broken, tormented sob ripped from his chest, sending cold shivers down the spines of the Master's... of their friends. "I m-miss him. _I want m-my Partner ba-ack..._!

"I know he's i-in Egypt, now... b-but I... I feel so empty without him here. I feel worthless. I _**am **_worthless!"

His hands abandoned the picture in his lap to grip at his head. "I _hate_ it! I hate feeling so sad all the time! I don't want to be this way anymore, but I can't shake it!" Sorrow's voice was rising into tortured hysterics. His lamp began to dim drastically, now nothing more than a dull orange-tinted ember of light in the darkness.

"I wish I could just_ die_! I really, _**really **_do!"

As the loud, heart-wrenching wail escaped the teen's chest, the lamplight sputtered and died completely. With it, a surge of memories rose from the shadows.

* * *

_A little boy, no older than four, stood in a black suit before two twin graves. His little hand was in that of his grandfather's._

_"W-When can I see them again, Jii-chan?" a quiet voice asked, "I miss them..."_

_He was pulled into a hug._

_"Oh, my little Yuugi... I... I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know."_

* * *

_"I don't care if I never get my memories back. I want to be here with you, forever..."_

_Yuugi stepped forward, tears streaming down his face. "Yeah... F-Forever..."_

_He looked down, eyes shutting tightly._

_"I will... give you all of my memories."_

* * *

_"Silent Magician, attack his Lifepoints directly!"_

_Inside, he was screaming with grief. This couldn't be the end... Please, it just _couldn't_ be!_

* * *

_"Rise, Yuugi. A champion does not belong on his knees."_

'I'm no champion! Gods, I'm sending you away!'_ His head screamed to him._

* * *

_Walking away, vanishing into the Light with his thumb upturned confidently. Feeling it all cut out._

_Their Bond, their Link, their hearts and souls._

_Split in two. Separated by time._

_The agony in his heart was unbearable._

_Yet he still forced a smile on his face._

* * *

_Calling a quick goodnight to his grandfather as they returned home from Egypt. Walking upstairs on shaking legs. The door shut, locking him away into moon-illuminated cold. The front door, downstairs, opened and closed as Sugoroku went to run to a quick errand upon their arrival home._

_Yuugi went to his Mindroom._

_The hallway was crafted of dark, lifeless stone. Like a prison or medieval torture chamber. He ran down it, desperation and dread sending his pulse haywire. He paused in the Hall between two Doors._

_Only, now there was just one._

_Where the other had once been, was nothing but a gaping hole in the stone. Broken, ruined, empty. Leading into nothing but inky, endless black. Yuugi stared at it in disbelief._

_He was alone._

_He felt cold._

_Yuugi gripped at his skull, tears gathering in dead amethyst eyes. His legs buckled, sending him to his knees. "Y-Yam-mi-" he sobbed quietly to the one who could no longer hear him, "I-I can't hear y-you anymore..."_

_Guilt and disgust filled him as he internally begged his Darkness to come back._

_He was so selfish. Atem was _happy_. Why should he ask the spirit to do something like leave Eternal Peace? After three-thousand years of _torture_?_

_He was a monster._

_But all that he could comprehend... was the cold he felt inside. His eyes squeezed shut, body quaking like a leaf in a windstorm._

'M-Mou Hit-tori no Boku... Ya-Yami...'

_A tortured, sobbing scream unwillingly left his lips as Yuugi sank deeper into his own, personal Hell._

'H-He's **gone**! He's really gone!_'_

* * *

Sorrow was bunched in on himself, in a tight ball as he wept. Tears were in the eyes of all four Visitors by the time his String of Remembrance was done with.

They looked to him with their own Grief. Sorrow felt it, deep inside his manifested being, as his Essence freely radiated around the room like an asphyxiating smog.

Then arms were around him, and white hair pressed to his face. Sorrow stiffened, but dared to glance at the one embracing him so desperately. Ryou was also trembling. Sorrow could feel it against his own slight form. He blinked, eyes stinging.

"I am so sorry, Yuugi," he whispered to his ear, "I know your pain. I just wasn't aware of how much you were truly hurting..."

Of course. This one had a Dark Side, as well. Yes, they weren't as close as the Master and His own Darkness, but they still had been Linked. "You cared for yours?" Sorrow mumbled quietly.

Ryou nodded slowly. "He was my guardian. Like... Like a brother. Or an Angel. A fallen Angel."

The albino leaned back, staring deep into broken navy eyes of the Emotion.

"What was Yami, to you? What was he?" the Brit asked with a tiny smile. Happiness, who still stood at the doorway, seemed to dim with his own disorienting emotions. Sorrow looked up, sniffling quietly. He felt his shattered heart break into another piece.

"He... H-He was my lover."

The four stiffened. "Your... You and Yami were..." Jou stammered with wide eyes. Sorrow nodded, head hiding behind his arms once again.

They all froze as, from the twisting corridors outside, a voice screamed.

_Yuugi's _voice_._

Happiness smiled, but it was a look entirely devoid of his namesake. "That was Him," he murmured quietly. "As we travel through His Soulroom, and consult the other Emotions, he feels them. He re-lives the Memories we show you. For example, when you spoke to me, He felt deliriously Happy."

Honda let out a breath. "But now that we're talking to his Sadness..."

Happiness nodded. "Nothing but agonizing Sorrow and isolation."

The bright Emotion breached the darkness of his opposite's Room, bare feet padding quietly against the cold, stone floor. He kneeled down next to the darker Emotion, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, Sorrow..." he murmured, gently shaking the other. "Let's go visit our brothers."

Sorrow looked up, his deep blue eyes meeting cheery, canary yellow. There was a sparkling smile. "You won't have to feel Sad all the time, if you leave your Room. All of us can have feelings that are different from our Essences once we leave our Rooms."

Sorrow looked up with large, boyish blue eyes. Happiness smiled again, only this time in was soft and caring, and full of sympathy. Ryou, who was still kneeled in front of him, wiped away a line of tears that wetted his cheek. The albino looked into the broken eyes of his friend's personified Emotion. "Yuugi," he murmured softly, like a mother to their child.

"You don't have to be alone anymore."

Sadness gave a small intake of air, before lurching forward, and grabbing the white-haired male in a strong hug. It was quickly returned, and Sorrow felt... warm. He felt the warmth of the soul who knew, at least, an ounce of his suffering. Of the Master's suffering. He allowed the most minuscule of smiles to upturn his lips.

_**'We... have good friends, don't we, Happiness...?'**_ he whispered into the mind of his brother.

**_'_Hai**_**,'**_ the other replied sweetly, **_'We do.'_**

* * *

**Little note: If you guys have suggestions for an Emotion I could write about, feel free to message me/leave a comment with it! Odds are, I've probably already got it, but who knows? I might not.**

**Tell me if you have any Emotion ideas! :D**


	3. Knowledge

**To the people who are asking me which emotion to write up next, I'm sorry to say that I already have an order in which they are going to appear. And, unfortunately, I'm not changing that order, unless I get a new Emotion that needs placement somewhere in the story. The list is as following:**

_Happiness, Sorrow, Knowledge, Jealousy, Rage, Timidity, Apathy, Sarcasm, Love, Lust, Incivility, Rebellion, Loyalty, Fear, Betrayal, Hope, Tranquility_

**Then there are a few follow-up chapters, after the initial Emotions. Two or three, is what I'm wagering. But, since I like to change stuff around a bit as I write it, no guarantees.**

**So, please stop asking (demanding) which Emotion I write up next... Be patient, and I assure you it will be worth it :)**

**ALSO: If you have any other Emotions that aren't already listed, feel free to leave an idea in the comments! Along with a color that you think represents it. Each Emotion has a specific color. Example:**

**Happiness - Saturated Yellow**

**Sorrow - Navy Blue**

**Knowledge - Deep Purple**

**Etc.**

* * *

**Title: **_Shattered_

**Pairing:** _Puzzleshipping (Yuugi/Yami)_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre:** _Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort_

**Full Summary: **_Yuugi's friends are both concerned and confused as to why the teen is so deeply depressed after Atemu's return to the Afterlife. So, they travel into his mind, to find his Soulroom has turned to nothing but a maze of stairways and doors, and that his emotions have personified themselves within them. What will each reveal to them? And can they save their friend before it's too late._

* * *

**_DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor ANY characters in this story, unless noted otherwise. I DO, however, own the plot of this story, as well as the designs for Yuugi's Emotions. The Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime belong to Kazuki Takahashi-san. The novel series Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling._**

**_Please do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor recreate my hard work in any way._**

**_Or I will sic Yami on you._**

* * *

**_WARNING(S): Very Minor/Mild Self-Harm Attempt_**

* * *

**_~ Knowledge ~_**

_Lothlorien - Enya_

* * *

Knowledge is power. It was a simple as that. The more one knew about the world around them, the better. A lack of Knowledge could lead to many things.

Arrogance, Ignorance, Stupidity...

Or, as he was meant to represent, Curiosity.

Knowledge and Curiosity went rather hand-in-hand, but the latter sounded too childlike and naïve for the Emotion's taste. The term of 'Knowledge' sounded much more grown-up, and mature. So, he took it as his 'name', so to speak.

There were many thing Knowledge was aware of. For example, he knew that the Visitors of the Master's mind- Jounouchi Katsuya, Honda Hiroto, Bakura Ryou, and Mazaki Anzu- would soon arrive at his Soulroom. In-tow would be his fellowship- brothers, if you would so choose to call them. The manifestations of Master Yuugi's Happiness and Sorrow. Also, judging by the rather tormented, tearful, and enraged scream the Creator had uttered minutes ago, Sorrow had revealed his own, personal String of Remembrance.

Knowledge sighed dismally, adjusting his glasses and opening a book to pass the time.

The Emotion was dressed neatly, in a simple, cloud-gray, long-sleeved shirt and casually-fitted dark gray-violet jeans. Rested on the bridge of his nose was a pair of small, squared, violet-rimmed spectacles. His spiked ebony hair was rimmed in a deep purple, eyes a matching shade. His over-all appearance was clean and perfected- as well as the Room he resided in.

The walls were a light mixture between indigo and lavender, with a pale blue, carpeted floor. A mahogany, four-poster bedframe holding a queen-sized mattress was sitting front-and-center on the wall opposite to his Mindroom's doorway. A dark lilac blanket was made and tucked over light blue sheets, with decorative pillows layered neatly at the headboard. A writing desk with a simple, dining-room-esque chair was where Knowledge was currently seated. Over half of the four, squared walls around him were lined or crafted into bookshelves, where articles over every subject and varying levels of reading were kept in neat, organized little rows.

Currently, the Emotion was engrossed in a popular English fantasy novel, known as _Harry__ Potter._ He smiled with mild enthusiasm as the main character partook in a tournament for a 'wizard sport' known as _'Quidditch'_. He was so infatuated with his story, in fact, that Knowledge rather blatantly ignored his Soulroom door as it opened, and six individuals stepped in.

"_Ne,_ Kno-" a cheery voice began.

"_Shh_," the teen interrupted quietly, "I am at a rather enjoyable section of my novel."

The others were quiet as Knowledge finished the page, and placed a teal, rectangular bookmarker in the spot where he had left off at. Brushing his fingers through jagged, yellow bangs, Knowledge stood and faced his quests.

"_Kon'ichiwa_," he greeted politely, " Welcome to my Soulroom."

Honda was peering at the Yuugi-duplicate incredulously. Hiding his unease at the stare, Knowledge merely smiled, and waved them closer. "Do you want to take a seat? Maybe read a book? I have many different tomes of choice."

"Why are you wearing glasses?" the brunette male finally asked, one brow quirked. Knowledge blinked.

"What's wrong with them?" he returned evenly.

"Nothin'... It's just a bit weird on you."

"I shall try not to take offense to that comment. As an answer to your question, Hiroto, I have a need for eyeglasses when reading. The strain without them is not healthy."

Jounouchi chuckled light-heartedly. "You sound like a total Einstein, Yuug'," he joked with a smirk.

Knowledge smiled pleasantly. "*_Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita, _Katsuya," he replied rather formally, "I would hope for nothing less, considering I _am _Yuugi-sama's representative of His thirst for Knowledge and quite active sense of Curiosity."

Small smiles passed through the group. Even Sorrow seemed a little less glum at that light statement.

"So..." Jounouchi chirped with a coy grin, "What kind'a things 're you '_Curious'_ about, Yuug'?"

"Jou!" Anzu scolded with pink cheeks, "Don't be such a _hentai_!"

The blonde shrugged with a cheeky look. The smirk fell, however, when he saw the dark frown that had cast upon Knowledge's face. "Eh, _g-gomen,_ man! I was jus' kiddin'!" he said hastily. Knowledge only shook his head slowly, glasses glinting as he gently pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

"The Master's train of thought... has strayed to a type of Curiousness I find rather... distasteful," he sighed quietly, eyes drifting closed. Hapiness seemed to deflate. Their mind's Visitors all glanced to Sorrow as a small whimper escaped his throat.

He looked up with tears once again gathering in navy pools. "I-I..." he muttered, unable to meet the gazes of their friends, "I told you... that I wanted to die, didn't I?"

Knowledge huffed another quiet breath. "Indeed." He raised a hand, and sent a stream of his Essence's memories to them.

* * *

_Hands trembled slightly as they gingerly held an item. It glinted in the dim kitchen lighting. '_Would it... Would it work?'

_The thought was terrifying, but unbelievably tantalizing as Yuugi stared at the blade in his shaking hands. "No..." he murmured quietly to himself, "Something like this... I-It would only make things worse."_

'Or would it?'_ a small voice whispered._

_A frightened gasp left the depressed teen's lungs as he suddenly, subconsciously, found the metal pressed to his pale wrist. He wasn't thinking clearly. He **knew** it, yet made no move to stop what he was doing. To fight against it. This feeling... This sick curiosity, it wouldn't allow him to._

_The pressure hesitantly increased..._

_"**Yuugi**! What in __God's name are you **doing**?!"_

_Yuugi jumped, instantly thrown from his morbid inquiry at the sound of his grandfather's frightened voice. He whipped around, and the knife clattered to the tile floor. "J-Jii-chan," he stammered, "Wha-What are you d-doing home so early? I-I thought... that you were out visiting Hawkins-san."_

_Sugoroku was staring at his grandchild owlishly. Disbelief and heartbreak were apparent in dull, gray-lavender orbs. "Y-Yuugi..." he repeated, voice nary a breath in the tense atmosphere, "What were you doing with that knife?" His aged eyes darted down to Yuugi's clenched fist. A small, red line of irritation ran across the blue veins of the limb's wrist. The skin was broken, but only slightly. Still, it was enough to cause a few small droplets of red to well up to the surface._

_Yuugi's wide eyes dilated in dread, and he swiftly swept the limb behind his back. But, it was too late. Sugoroku had seen._

_Tears swelled up in the old man's eyes. They quickly mirrored within the younger's as quilt and fear filled him. "I-I..." he stuttered, beginning to shake badly. "I-I'm.. I'm s-sorry..."_

_Sugoroku quickly stumbled forward, and grasped his only family in a tight, stunned hug. He stared in shock at the wall over Yuugi's shoulder as the boy shivered and collapsed into quiet weeping._

_"I'm sorry, " he repeated, "I-I-I don't kn-know what I was thinking- I j-just..." The arms gripped him more securely._

_It broke his grandpa's heart to hear such sounds leaving the boy who had seemed so... untouchable... So innocent..._

_So** happy.**_

_Now, he only seemed lost, and broken._

_"Yuugi," he whispered, "Please... N-Never do this again... _please_."_

_Yuugi nodded into the fabric of his grandfather's shirt. "I-I promise, Jii-chan..."_

_He may have given his word, but the Curiosity still remained._

* * *

That single memory help enough to send each teen into a stunned, horrified silence. Knowledge, Happiness, and Sorrow exchanged a pitying glace, However, the Emotion of their Creator's Grief still held tears in his deep blue eyes.

"God..." Ryou finally broke the thick, blanketing quiet around them. "Oh, God... Y-Yuugi..."

A collective, trembling sigh left the Master's four closest friends. "Next time I see 'im," Jou shuddered, "I dunno if I'm gonna _hug_ him, or _kick his ass._"

"He's such a dumbass!" Honda spat, on the verge of tears. Knowledge saw Sorrow shudder as a toxic slew of his Essence radiated around the room.

"To think that he'd be hurting so much, as to consider... c-cutting..." Anzu mused shakily, cerulean eyes wet.

Knowledge gave them a bitter smile, entirely devoid of its usual, joyous symbolism. "The Master has considered much more than petty self-harm. As much as it pains me to admit."

Shocked eyes met him.

"W-Well, _you're _his Curiosity! Can't you _do _something about this?!" Honda demanded angrily, "_Any of you?!_"

Knowledge's brow furrowed, eyes closing with a frustrated sigh. "As much as I wish we could, Hiroto," he grumbled, "We can't. _We_ are the _Emotions_. _We _are controlled by _Him._ Not the other way around. There is actually very _little _we can do." Thin fingers brushed violet spectacles up a button nose, yet again.

"Well, then why are you showing us his memories?" the brunette male snapped, fists clenching.

"So you can all _understand,_" Happiness chirped up, "And maybe... Help Him be normal again."

Somewhat confused glances met that statement. Knowledge felt his Power float amongst a single question:

"How is Yuugi not normal?" Ryou spoke, breaking the awkward silence for a second time. "Surely he's just... depressed, right?"

Sorrow caught them all by surprise by giving an extremely bitter laugh. "_'Just_ _depressed'_," he spat sourly, scowling, "What, do you think it's _healthy,_ let alone _normal_, for one's Emotions to have _personified themselves _within one's Mind?"

There were reluctant, somewhat fearful shakes of the head.

"Exactly."

"Well, why are you separating from Yuugi, if it's unhealthy?" the only female in the room asked. Her azure eyes were puzzled. The three Emotions exchanged another look between themselves, looking hesitant.

"_Well_?"

Knowledge- for probably the fifth time in ten minutes- sighed. Needing something to occupy his anxiously twitching fingers, the Emotion removed his lenses and went to clean them on a piece of his shirt. There was an old, sage-like appearance to the manifestation of a seventeen-year-old's Curiosity that sent a brief wave of awe over the mortal teenagers. Yuugi had always seemed so childish. It was quite odd, to be seeing a piece of him acting like some seasoned veteran.

"Because," the violet-themed boy quietly, "He doesn't have the desire to _feel_ anymore. So, as a result of his Apathy to the Pharaoh's departure-" Yuugi's Emotions all flinched visibly "-we've branched off as separate, conscious beings in his head. Even Apathy, itself. Now, our Creator doesn't know _how_ to feel. He is steadily loosing control over us.

"The most primal and overpowering of us- as an example, Jealousy or Rage- are constantly battling for dominance as Yuugi-sama's primary or fallback Emotion."

"How could they do that?" Ryou asked, and Knowledge held back a small smile. This one a definitely Curious. Very much so.

"Since we are all contained within His rather labyrinthine mind, He can hear our thoughts, if we so choose to share them." The glasses were replaced in their position over Knowledge's eyes.

"So, in short, he's hearing voices," the albino concluded. Knowledge nodded grimly.

"It's what society calls things such as 'insanity', 'schizophrenia', or 'MPD'."

"Multiple Personality Disorder?"

"Indeed. If we were to gain enough Power, or Yuugi's mental defenses were to loose too much of it, a specific Emotion would have the ability to overshadow His mind for unknown periods of time. Until either Yuugi, or another Emotion, were to overthrow the former and regain control."

"Just like Yami did..." Jounouchi breathed, honey-brown eyes distant and dark. A look of deep pain flashed over Knowledge's face, and the smallest glimpse of a tear rolled down one cheek.

"_Hai_, Katsuya," he mumbled, voice hardly audible, "Just like Yami."

* * *

**Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita** - "_Thank you very much_"

* * *

**Dun dun DUNNN!**

**Now you all see, just a wee-bit more, the position poor Yuugi is in. I feel kind of bad for putting him through so much... but... it's such a good story! I'm having SO much fun writing it! ^^**

**Next up, we get to take a peek at Yuugi's Emotion of Jealousy! Fun!**

* * *

**Reviews are _highly _appreciated! ;)**


	4. SOPA WARNING! PLEASE READ!

**CALLING ALL AUTHORS, ARTISTS AND FANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD!**

**SOPA IS BACK BITCHES!**

I found this out from several other authors on this website.

In is an important notice that will affect everyone on this sit and many others.

I got a message from a fellow writer shadowwriter329 and saw more note and messages from even more, that SOPA is back. The bill that is threatening to take away our freedoms on the internet is back. Not only back, but it is trying to be passed quietly so nobody notices. SOPA will guarantee that anybody who streams a video, whether it be on youtube, a walkthrough for a video game, or a kid singing a song that is 'copyrighted' they will be treated as a felon. That is one of the highest form of criminal offensives for something as simple as uploading a video game walkthrough on youtube, playing a song with lyrics of your favorite artist and even one we all go on, this one right here.

I am telling everyone this because it effect us all here as Wattpad/FanFiction will being attacked as well. A Wattpad/FanFiction writer can being carted off to a maximum state prison for writing a character from Naruto into their fanfic, or a character from Bleach, or a character from One Piece, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the list is endless. You think I an exaggerating? I assure you that if this passes it will not be long, not be long at all, because once this passes, then anything goes. Wattpad/FanFiction will be attacked for using canon characters in a fanon manner, authors will be arrested for writing a book whose main character has glasses just like in another series, artists will be arrested and confined for using sapphire blue in the iris of one of their characters like another author. This effect us all and we can not let it happen.

I figure some of you do not believe me and I can understand. I could be making this up for all you know. But I provided links below to show you I am telling the truth. Simply remove the spaces below, see for yourself.

: / www . huffingtonpost 2013/08/07/unauthorized-streaming-felony_n_3720479 . html

: / www . washingtonpost blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/05/sopa-died-in-2012-b ut-obama-administration-wants-to-revive-part-of-it /

: / www . techdirt articles/20130805/12472124074/administration-cant- let-go-wants-to-bring-back-felony-streaming-provis ions-sopa . shtml

: / www . youtube watch?v=1fTt4K4Cae4

We are not as powerless as we might think. We stopped SOPA before and we must do it again. Our stories, our ideas, our passion will be threaten. Everything from this to fan art to youtube is in danger of being gone forever.

I am asking you to spread the word and fight this assault on our freedoms. Because this isn't just going to affect Americans, it will affect everybody across the globe. Tell you friend, have they spread the word so we may stand up to fight this. It is our right as freedom of speech. We are not making money doing what we love, we do it because we enjoy it and want to spread our words, our ideas, our art to everyone who wishes to see it. but we can stop it but only if we stand together. Please my friends, my fellow reader and writers, don't let what we love be nothing but dust in the winds of time.

-Please spread the word and help us be free on the internet like she said we stopped it before lets do it again come darlings lets push SOPA back fight for our freedom!

Rewrite this and post on your story chapters for everyone else to see so we can stop SOPA!

SIGN THIS PETITION TO HELP STOP SOPA:

(Remove spaces)

petitions. whitehouse. gov/ petition/ stop-sopa-2013/ LMzMVrQF


	5. Jealousy

**Sorry for taking so long with this one. I hit a really bad block on how to start it out, and stuff. ^^;**

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! They make me so happy! :'D**

* * *

**Title: **_Shattered_

**Pairing:** _Puzzleshipping (Yuugi/Yami)_

**Rating: **_T_

**Genre:** _Angst, Drama, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort_

**Full Summary: **_Yuugi's friends are both concerned and confused as to why the teen is so deeply depressed after Atemu's return to the Afterlife. So, they travel into his mind, to find his Soulroom has turned to nothing but a maze of stairways and doors, and that his emotions have personified themselves within them. What will each reveal to them? And can they save their friend before it's too late._

* * *

**_DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh, nor ANY characters in this story, unless noted otherwise. I DO, however, own the plot of this story, as well as the designs for Yuugi's Emotions. The Yu-Gi-Oh manga and anime belong to Kazuki Takahashi-san._**

**_Please do not plagiarize, copy, repost, nor recreate my hard work in any way._**

**_Or I will sic Yami on you._**

* * *

**_~ Jealousy ~_**

_Monster Remix (Ft. Cascada) - Meg & Dia_

* * *

The phrase _"green with envy" _had never looked more fitting than the sight one particular Emotion within the tortured mind of Yuugi Mutou.

Green signified many things. Some think it luck. Others, wealth, life, growth, or prosperity. Some, when faced with the shade of green, think of illness.

This was the resemblance that was held within the Emotion of Yuugi's Jealousy.

Jealousy, or Envy, as others called him, was laying on his side beneath thin, moth-eaten blankets on a grimy, old twin mattress that was all-to-obviously was unable to accommodate his entire form comfortably. His clothing was sparse and aged- consisting a faded olive top with short sleeves, and baggy, deep forest shaded sweatpants. They were dirty, and had many small holes and makeshift patches in the fabric. His hardly-ample coverings were nothing but a thin sheet and inadequate quilt, with muddled patches of varying shades of lime, grass, jade, and spring, though they had long-since become faded; hardly resembling the once-vibrant colors they once were. Other than the bed, and a small oak nightstand to the right of the bed, the Emotion's Soulroom was completely barren.

There were no photographs. No bookshelves. Not even a dresser, or tattered remnants of what might have been screenshots from the Master's life.

Jealousy's body was trembling softly beneath his quilt, bitten with cold. His body was skinny, but not in a healthy was. There was no agile, lithe muscle cording over his arms or chest. The raven mound of hair upon his head was not glossy, but tousled and unkempt. It's acidic edgings were more or a sickened sea-green, while blank and spiteful fern eyes were glaring tired daggers at the wall he faced. Beneath loose clothing, one could see the boney anatomy of his ribcage, and even some of the spinal cord. Pale flesh was not flushed nor its natural alabaster, but light ashen. Eyes were slightly sunken, with dark circles beneath. A picture of years upon years of neglect, and 'bottling up', as the term was.

The grotesque image of held-back Emotion.

The door opened without so much as a knock, as the four Visitors to his Master's mind were eager to meet their next...

Jealousy wasn't sure how to describe he and his brethren to living, breathing human beings.

"Yuugi...?" the blonde spoke up quietly, tentatively, "You asleep 'r somethin', pal?"

A shallow cough was the Brooklyn-accented teen's only reply.

"Yuug'?"

Jealousy blinked slowly, turning his head to leer up at the mortal being with something akin to contempt. He sat up with lethargy in his joints, until his legs dangled over the edge of his mattress. Fern-green eyes sought out the saturated shades of his 'kin', who stood in the doorway. He noticed vaguely, that Jounouchi had moved back a few feet, and was obviously uneasy. They all were.

"Knowledge... Happiness... Sorrow..." he greeted slowly, voice tight, "To what do I owe you this wonderful visit?" His tone was snide. "Surely a such a lowly, primal Emotional Essence such as my own does not deserve to _bask _in the obnoxious presence of those of such a high status within our Creator's mind?"

He saw Knowledge's brow furrow in slight irritation. "Enough of that, Jealousy. Your current mindset on humor belongs to that of Sarcasm." Icy jade eyes narrowed into cold indigo.

"Wow... uh," Honda chuckled awkwardly, "Didn't think Yuugi could really ever _feel_... Jealous. He's such a selfless guy, and all..."

The faded, green-themed Emotion scoffed, fists clenching at his scarce bedding. "_Everyone _feels Jealousy, you _baka_," he snapped, "Some just choose not to show it." He gripped the backboard of his bedframe, shakily getting to his feet. A hand reached out and pressed to the chipping paint of the asparagus-colored walls, for leverage.

He saw the four teens start slightly, as if considering coming to his aide. He grunted quietly with effort, energy quickly depleting- It had been many moons since he had last bothered rising from his resting place.

His hand moved quickly to his mouth in a vain attempt to stifle a painful cough that rattled within his spiritual lungs. The fit left him winded, and looking sicker than before. Annoyance and pain made a grimace over his face. He pounding his fist against the wall he leaned into, as if knocking on a door.

"Come _on_, you asshole," he growled weakly, voice gravelly and thick, "Want to give an Emotion some Expression once in a while?"

Knowledge bristled at once, as an uneasy aura flowed in from the many halls of Yuugi's scattered mind. "Now, you stop that, Jealousy!" his violet-themed counterpart scolded, voice cross, as if speaking to a child. "Yuugi-sama is stronger than to turn to an Emotion as barbaric as _you_ for guidance!"

Jealousy growled, "You want barbaric? Go pay a visit to Rage. All of the meddling of these fleshy _intruders _have done plenty to piss Him off!" He pushed away from the wall, stumbling towards his other unsteadily. "You don't fucking know what it's _like_! I'm surprised you haven't showered questions like a Radamn bomber, at why I'm like this. Even _I_ can feel your Essence radiating in this place, Curiosity!"

He heard Honda clear his throat uncertainly. Jealousy was truly a sad sight. They could see the hollows in his collarbone, as the hem of his oversized shirt had slipped over one shoulder. To put bluntly, the Emotion looked like Death walking.

"Why _are _you... like this? Why is this place-"

"So empty." It was a statement, not an inquiry.

A small, uncertain nod.

The Emotion smiled bitterly. He spread his arms in an open gesture to his form. "_This_," he sighed, as if reminiscent, "is what happens when you bottle up your Emotions."

The brunette male was silent, though his questions were still in abundance.

"Jealousy, Envy, Bitterness, Resentment," he snickered without humor, eyes' color flashing quickly, from soft fern to saturated, toxic verdigris. "All _green-eyed monsters _that no one wants to face. So what do they do? They _lock _them up, to the recesses of dark and judgmental minds, so they can fester and _rot _away while everyone continues their happy-go-lucky _ignorance _to how they **_really _**feel!"

He saw the intruders bristle, obviously angry. "Yuugi is _none _of those things!" Anzu rejected sharply, "He is kind and forgiving and selfless! Not dark or judgmental! He has loving family and friends and anything he could want o-" Envy cut her words off harshly.

"_Shut up_!" he snapped, voice rising. "You don't even know _**half** _of it! I have no reason to Envy something as insignificant as material possessions! I **_know_** what I have!"

They stiffened as Yuugi's supposed Emotion fell into a first-person reference of himself. It was as if...

Venomously-colored eyes flashed and flickered with tainted impurity. Hard shards of gemstone amethyst faded into view.

"What I _want _is something money and fame can't get. In fact, I **_hate _**being famous! Every last, Radamned thing I do is the hit story on the fucking five-o-clock news for the entire world to see! I can't do a damn thing without being judged or ridiculed!"

The acid-green rimming of Jealousy's hair slowly faded to a muddled maroon.

"Why can't I just be normal for once?! That's _all _I want! To be normal! Not some loner, game-loving freak in the back of class, or the pathetic, friendless _looser _that everyone bullies, or the fucking national idol with BILLIONS of people who look up to him and judge every last _step _he makes!" His frail shoulders heaved with shuddering breaths. "I just want to be another nameless nobody who does about his daily life _in peace_!"

Tears ran down pale cheeks. No longer, was the Emotion of Envy standing, but a combined manifestation. The gazes of the three other Emotions widened. "M... Master..." Sorrow breathed. Yuugi's heliotrope eyes flashed with anger and confusion and pain.

In an agonizing flash, a stream of memories were almost literally **_THROWN _**into the minds of Yuugi's friends, along with a lifetime of captive Emotions and pain and grievances.

* * *

_A small boy sat, alone, in the park. The stone bench he was seated on set aches and stiffness up his five-year-old body. He was still, patiently resting. A patience that was unheard of in such young children._

_They said they would be there when he needed them most, hadn't they? So they should be there soon._

_They HAD to be._

_But they never came. The child had been there since after school that same day. His skin beneath his winter coat was bruised and sore. A scratch over his left cheek was covered in dried blood, and his hands and knees were scraped and bloody._

_The bullies were extra mean, today._

_"_Okaasan_... _Otousan_... where are you?" little Yuugi asked, looking up to the dark, cloud-filled skies. They were a dismal gray with nightfall and threats of rain._

_A bad feeling settled in the pit of his belly. It was bitter and unpleasant. It showed itself every time the young boy saw other children his age with their friends, or their family, laughing and happy. Especially when it was with their moms and dads._

_Yuugi shoved the feeling away as he saw a man running towards himself through the first heavy drops of rain, thunder rumbling in the distance. Yuugi blinked, taking in the mix of worry, understanding, and crossness in the expression of his grandfather._

_"Yuugi, my boy," the old man breathed, quickly gathering the child in his arms as he reached the stone park bench his grandchild was seated on. "Where in heaven's name have you been all this time? I've been worried sick!"_

_Yuugi nestled into the strong embrace of his grandpa, head resting on his chest as the child allowed himself to be carried away from his place of vigil, to the warm and sheltered car he knew was waiting. The rain pattered in cold, weighted splashes to the ground around them. "_Gomen'nasai_, Jii-chan," he murmured in the high-pitched voice of boyhood, "I was waiting."_

_"For who, my boy?" the old man replied quietly as he set his grandchild in his car-seat, buckling him in._

_Yuugi's voice was quiet. "For Mommy and Daddy..." he murmured, that bad feeling returning to his tummy, and building up in his throat. He felt his grandfather's hands still from their fiddling with his jacket. Yuugi gently swung his legs to and fro- at least, as much as his short limbs allowed him to- and looked at his hands._

_He sniffled quietly, a pang resting deep in his little, innocent heart. "They were mean again, today," he whimpered, and tried not to wince as Sugoroku gingerly brushed his tri-colored hair from his eyes, thumb accidently passing over a bruise. Yuugi fixed wide, confused eyes to his grandfather. "It's been a long time, Jii-chan... when 're they comin' back? Don't they love me anymore?"_

_He was drawn forward into a somewhat-awkward hug, as Yuugi was now strapped into his caraway securely. A small kiss was pressed to his forehead. It was consoling, and nurturing. "Of course they do, my boy..." Sugoroku relied with a breaking heart and dampening eyes. "They just... can't be here right now..."_

* * *

_Yuugi, now aged into middle school, coughed into a fist as his tormentors left, his money in-hand as they threw his wallet to the ground. They were laughing with cruel mirth. The students who were around merely threw the boy pitying or resentful glances, but none came to his aide as he stumbled to his feet, and limped to the nurse's station._

_Everything throbbed with each step he took. He stifled away tears by biting his lip. Something in his chest felt like a dagger being stabbed into his ribcage._

_Upon his arrival to the office, pain shot up his spine, and Yuugi fell with a strangled noise. The office secretaries quickly jumped to his assistance, with frightened and worried shouts._

_"Oh, _Kami-sama_, not again..." someone breathed sadly. Yuugi grunted and grit his teeth in agony as he was lifted into a pair of arms. White-hot pain made his vision spot with darkness and sent his ears ringing._

_"This is the third time in two weeks!" another breathed, sounding hopeless. "Why won't he just **tell** us who **does **this to him?"_

_"Careful, Haru! His arm looks like it's dislocated..."_

_As an answer, Yuugi gave a yell of pain as said arm was accidentally jostled when he was set onto a cot in the nurse's station. Tears slipped past his eyes, before the pain sent him into black unconsciousness._

Why... do they hate me so much...? What... did I do... to deserve this?

* * *

_Yuugi projected his spirit to stand behind Yami, quietly giggling as he sent his other half off on a date with Anzu. Currently, they were watching her play a game called _Dance Dance Revolution_._

_The young duelist felt a spark of jealousy stab at his chest as he watched them, unnoticed. Anzu... she _really _liked the Pharaoh, didn't she? He sighed, not noticing how a person who came to stand within his spiritual being shivered and brushed a hand over his neck, as if checking for something._

_Yuugi wished... he could express his he felt to his Darkness as freely as his friend could. But.. no. If Yami didn't feel the same, it would only make their so-far-harmonious coexistence inside Yuugi's body awkward. Yuugi smiled, with a mix of sorrow and bitterness. _You're lucky, Anzu..._ he sighed internally, a small pout forming over his lips, before his phased back into the confines of his bright Soulroom._

_Unknown to him, that pout subconsciously formed over his other's lips in reflection_.

* * *

Yuugi's friends were brought back to awareness by a pained scream.

Looking up sharply, they saw the Yuugi before them gripping at his head. Amethyst flickered to toxic green, before fading into a dim olive, and their friend's spirit tore itself away from his Jealousy, to once again shove the Emotion to the depths of his head. Jealousy yelled in his suffering, before collapsing to the ground.

"Envy!" Knowledge gasped, demeanor towards his brother changing at once. They rushed towards the Emotion. He shook violently, body heaving with hacking coughs that tore into his lungs and throat with burning agony. When his hand pull away from his mouth, it was tinted in red drops.

Envy was limp and unresponsive as Knowledge pulled his upper body into his arms, touching a hand to the manifestation's forehead. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, skin burning with... fever? Could souls (or, in this case, _fragments_ of a soul) even _be _feverish?

"S'nothin' new..." the spirit slurred quietly, voice rasped a weak, "Don' worry s'much... Happens every time he-" His voice cut into more savage coughs and wheezed for air. "Re-rejects my Essence..."

Knowledge looked up, still cradling his kin's torso in his arms. "Help me get him to bed," he demanded gently, quietly. Jounouchi and Honda help lift the limp teen's spiritual body from the cracked stone floor to his mattress. The two cringed slightly at the feeling of the body in their arms. Envy was terribly emaciated.

"Our Essences are what keep us strong," Knowledge explained to the unspoken questions. "In a way, it is our lifeblood. For one to feel what we signify, is like a way of..." he trailed, waving a hand as he searched for the right wording. "Feeding us, I suppose you could say? But... when an Emotion is 'bottled up', therefore ignored, it... well..." He motioned gently towards his suffering brethren, who only threw a half-hearted glare at the other for being used as such a blunt example. "I just... I never thought... that it could get this _bad_..."

"Bite... me..." Jealousy wheezed softly, though the hardness in his tone had given way to exhaustion.

Sorrow stepped forward as a shiver wracked down the green-toned Emotion's body. He quietly pulled his arms from the sleeves of his loose black jumper, and brought it from over his head. He, with the help of Happiness, managed to dress it over Jealousy, who managed a grateful glance, before nestling into the warm, insulating clothing. Sadness cast him a tiny smile, tucking the quilt and sheet over his body securely.

Happiness gave his own, sympathetic smile. "You get some rest, 'kay, bro?" he murmured, "We'll make sure you and Master get better real soon!"

Jealousy nodded absently, falling into a fitful slumber. They were quiet as they left the barren Soulroom, and Sorrow wrapped his arms around himself, now only dressed in a slate-color T-shirt, feeling exposed. Knowledge threw him a comforting glance.

"Yuug- er, Sorrow... what're those...?" Jounouchi asked suddenly, before grabbing one of the Emotion's arms. It was littered in organized rows of horizontal scars. "Please don't tell me..."

Sorrow swiped the limb back, clutching it to his chest sheepishly. He shuffled his feet anxiously, eyes darting everywhere that wasn't occupied by the view of another person. "Just one of them..." he murmured, gingerly tapping at the place they had seen Yuugi injure in Knowledge's Memory String. "The rest are... areas of contemplation..." He looked down at the ground. "Master doesn't want to _die_, if that's what you're thinking... At least, not yet... He... He just... doesn't know how to _live_ anymore."

It was chilling comment, and Sorrow walked forward with a light, almost careless lift to his step.

With an aura that seemed almost uncertain, the others followed. The atmosphere within the halls of Yuugi's mind, which were once docile and warm, now held a bone-numbing chill, and a blanket of hostility. Somewhere, deep within the massive Soulroom's chambers, something dark and lurking stirred. Knowledge glanced up, in complete unison with that of Happiness and Sorrow. The four mortal souls they were leading grew uneasy. "What's wrong?" Ryou murmured quietly.

The three Emotions shared a small glance. Happiness shrugged in a '_what-can-you-do?_' motion, his expression holding a similar look. Knowledge exhaled softly, and continued forward. "Nothing. Let's keep going."

Yuugi's closest friends walked on, wary, but blissfully ignorant to the darkness roaming their suffering companion's head.

It seemed their Visitors were no longer welcome within the Master's mind.

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**Damn. That ending was foreboding, huh? XD**

**FINALLY! I BROKE THE F**KING WRITER'S BLOCK! I'm SO sorry this took so long to post! My sister took back her laptop after I posted Chpt. 4 of Desert Storm, so I didn't have any other means of updating to FFnet.**

**Oh, and yes. I did add the famously adorable 'Yami-pout-scene', from episode 53, I think?**

***shrugs***

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**Next up: RAGE! :D**

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**Review please! It motivates me!**


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